Valve mechanism.



G. H. LUTZ.

VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1911.

1 ,292,829. Patented J an. 28, 1919.

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G'e/ 0:861 1 LUZ Z GEORGE H. LUTZ, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application filed June 14, 1917. Serial No. 174,799.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. Ln'rz, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves and means for actuating them, and particularly to a valve control for a steam engine utilizing revolving cylinders of the general type illustrated and described in my application for United States patent filed on or about February 23, 1917, Serial No. 150,493, and one of the objects of my present invention is to provide a valve control of such construction that it is impossible at the will of the operator to operate the valve so that the supply of the pressure medium may not only be regulated in duration with respect to each cylinder as it reaches the port of admission, but such a supply may be prolonged until after the pressure medium is admitted to the succeeding cylinder and even continued in both cylinders when necessary; that is to say, the duration of valve opening, and consequently the time of running under direct pressure, may be regulated at will in each cylinder individually or conjointly with one or more following cylinders in order to develop a sudden spurt of horse power greatly in excess of that which the engine can maintain indefinitely or at which it is rated. The valve control is preferably attained through means of a single actuating element such for example, as a lever which is adapted to develop the different phases of valve adjustment from no opening up to maximum duration of direct pressure drive by progressive movement or adjustment of the lever, and to establish the several phases or stages of adjustment in reverse order. of progressive return movement or sudden return movement, as may be desired. It is to be understood that phasing the valve as described varies the ratio of direct pressure drive to expansion drive and that the valve phasing mechanism provides for the shortest possible cut-off for most economical running, as well as full duration by direct pressure.

The described valve and its operating mechanism is especially applicable to a unifiow engine in which the pressure medium is supplied at one end of the cylinder and exhausts at the other, and in which, for the sake of efficiency, small clearance is left above the outer limit of the piston stroke. In such a construction, particularly when direct pressure drive is continued for nearly the whole of the working stroke, the pressure medium may not fully exhaust at the end of the stroke, or water may accumulate at the end of the cylinder so that considerable pressure, even above boiler pressure may develop on the return stroke of the piston. In such case, automatic relief must be provided to prevent breakage.

Another feature of the invention consists in constructin the valve, as for instance, in making it in t e form of a double ring differential valve of extreme simplicity, the excess area acting in the direction to open the valve and leave the valve stream unrestrained so that the valve can open and permit back flow into the pressure medium pipe whenever compression in the cylinder exhausts the main pressure supply.

In the present form of my invention, I have shown the valve as consisting of an annulus or ring with two oppositely disposed cam edges, one for ahead supply control and one for reverse supply control, the annulus or ring being maintained upon the valve seat by suitable positive pressure and being so connected to an actuating means that rotative movement may be readily imparted thereto through the steam chest from an exterior source. The parts are also constructed so that they may not only efiiciently perform their functions but so that they may be readily assembled and as easily removed for inspection or repairs.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the crank casing and the steam chest showing my invention applied:

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the supply pipe showing the operating rod and its lever in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the valve.

10 designates the crank case having elongated inlet ports 11, one for each cylinder,

(not shown) the ports being shown as extending through the end of the case and covered by a steam chest housing 12. The crank-shaft 13 for the engine extends through a packed opening 141- in the steam chest casing, the extended portion 15 being hollow or tubular and having a steam inlet 16 and an outlet 17 whereby steam may pass from a suitable source of supply into the chest 18. The actuating or turning rod 19 within the tubular portion 15 of the crankshaft 13 is provided with a handle 20 whereby said rod may be turned, and at the inner end of said rod is fastened a valve actuating lever 21 projecting through the outlet 1.7 of the crank-shaft and through the opening 22, in an H-shaped guiding head 23 held fast to the tubular shaft 15 by the screw 2%. The particular shape of the head is immaterial provided it is constructed so as to form lineal guides for the valve member. The valve member is best shown in Fig. 5 as comprising an annulus or ring 25 having an inner cam edge or eccentric portion 26, and an outer cam edge or eccentric portion 27 and extending at right angles from said annulus or ring, are wings or guide projections 28 and 29 adapted to rest against the sides of the head 23 as best shown in Fig. 3. One of the guides for the valve member(28) is provided with a notch 30 receiving the actuating, lever 21 so that swinging motion of the lever 21 imparted by the rod 19 will impart a sliding motion to the valve member because the valve member must partake of the movement of the lever 21 on account of its connection therewith through the medium of the notch 30. In order to hold the ring, or valve member 25 upon the seat 21 I preferably employ a positive seating means, and inorder that the valve may be able to yield to'back pressure or water-jam due to accumulation of water in the working. cylinder, and thus serve as an automatic relief valve, I employ a resilient seating means, for example, the springs 32, each having one end held. fast tothe head 23 and the free endbearing against the valve member 25. Itwillbe understood that the function. of the springs 32 is to hold the plate like valvevwhenthere is no pressure in the steam chest 18. When steam is being supplied, the pressurewill, of course, hold the valveto its seat, but if Water should accumulate:in. a working cylinder in such quantity as to develop a" pressure under the retur11- ing piston in excess of the working pressure of. the steam ina the steam-chest, the valve would unseat and permit the water to escape instead of causing breakage. In this way it isnot'necessary to provide special relief valves for. the working cylinders, as is usually resorted to in engines of Very small clearance Whenthe valve is in the position shown by the dot-and-dash lines 33 and 34:, 2) the ports 11 will be closed; therefore, the valve member may be assumed to be in its neutral position. If it is desired to start the engine in a forward. direction, sliding movement may be imparted to the valve member through the medium of the turning rod 19 and the lever 21 to uncover the ports with the desired degree of lap, the closingofl moment of the port being determined by the position'amplitude of movement of the valve member. In other words, a slight shifting will result in the closing-off moment of the valve occurring earlier in the stroke of the piston than if a greater shifting movement is imparted to the valve member. Indeed, the shifting may be to such extent that more than one port will be open at the same time, due to the curvature of the eccentric edge 27, it being understood of course that the only movement imparted to the valve member is a shifting movement, and that the crank case rotates about the axis of the crank shaft 13, also that the annular group of ports 11 are successively brought into open position, the desired result being accomplished by imparting an adjusting movement to the valve member in a direction intersecting the locus'of the ports to bring the recess formed by the cam edge into and out of coincidence with said ports as the ports rotate to individually and suc cessively come into coincidence with said recess. The prolongation of the time during which any port is open is determined by the position of the ring 25, either for reverse or forward movement of the engine and the inclination of the edge of the recess.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a valve and its mechanism is provided which will permit of a wide range of flexibility in engine control and one which is simple to construct, easy to keep in order and readily assembled, or taken apart as occasion may demand.

I claim:

1. A valve mechanism, comprising a revolving member havinga transverse face in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation and an annular series of ports in said face, a steam chest covering said ports, and a plate-valve within the steam chest seated upon said transverse face in position to cover saidv ports, means for holding said valve against rotation. while permit-ting it to slide in the-plane of its seat, and means independent of the rotary member for imparting an adjustable sliding movement to said valve at will and: bringing a portion thereof into and out of the path of said ports.

2. A valve mechanism, comprising. a revolving member having a transverse face in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation and an annular series of ports in said face, a steam v chest covering. said ports, and a plate-valve within the steam chest seated upon said transverse face in position to cover said ports, and having a controlling portion adapted to expose said ports as they come into coincidence therewith, means for holding said valve against rotation while permitting it to slide in the plane of its seat, and means independent of the rotary member for imparting an adjustable sliding movement to said valve at Will and bringing its recess into and out of the path of said ports; the edge of the controlling portion of the valve being inclined to the path of the ports so that the ports may be out 01f by the valve at difierent relative points in the rotation of the rotary member, according to the adjustment of the valve.

3. A valve mechanism, comprising a revolving member having a transverse face in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation and an annular series of ports in said face, a steam chest covering said ports, and a platevalve within the steam chest seated upon said transverse face in position to cover said ports, and having a controlling portion adapted to expose said ports as they come into coincidence therewith, means for holding said valve against rotation while permitting it to slide in the plane of its seat, and means independent of the rotary member for imparting an adjustable sliding movement to said valve at will and bringing its controlling portion into and out of the path of said ports; the controlling portion of the valve being shaped to retire a prolonged portion thereof from the path of the ports and thereby leave uncovered a plurality of said ports in the same opening period and the edge of the controlling portion of the valve being inclined to the path of the ports whereby one or more of the ports may be cut off by the valve at different relative points in the rotation, according to the adjustment of the valve.

4. In a valve mechanism, a rotary member having a transverse face in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation, and an annular series of ports in said face, a steam chest covering said ports, a plate valve within the steam chest seated upon said transverse face in position to cover the ports therein, means for retaining the valve against rotation while permitting it to slide in the plane of its seat, and a pair of recesses in said valve in positions to be brought into the path of the ports by the sliding movement of the valve; said recesses being spaced in the direction of the path of the ports suflieiently to phase the admission of steam differently through the different recesses, and thereby develop reversal of the engine.

5. In a valve mechanism, a rotary member having a transverse face in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation, and an annular series of ports in said face, a steam chest covering said ports, a plate-valve Within the steam chest seated upon said transverse face in position to cover the ports therein, means for retaining the valve against rotation while permitting it to slide in the plane of its seat, and a pair of recesses in said valve in positions to be brought into the path of the ports by the slidingrmovement of the valve; each of said recesses having an edge inclined to the path of the valves, whereby the duration of valve opening may be varied at Will.

6. A valve mechanism, comprising a revolving member having a transverse face in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation and an annular series of ports in said face, a steam chest covering said ports, and a plate-valve within the steam chest seated upon said transverse face in position to cover said ports, means for holding said valve against rotation While permitting it to slide in the plane of its seat, and means independent of the rotary member for imparting an adjustable sliding movement to said valve at will and bringing a portion thereof into and out of the path of said ports; said last-named means comprising a shaft extending co-axially with the axis of rotation of the rotary member, and a radial arm extending from said shaft into engagement with the valve member.

7 A valve mechanism, comprising a rotary member having an annular series of ports presented in the direction of its axis of rotation, a steam chest covering said ports, a plate-valve in said steam chest seating over said ports, a guiding head transverse to the axis of rotation of the rotary member, guide projections on the plate-valve embracing said guiding member and holding the plate-valve against rotation while permitting it to slide transversely to the path of the ports and also to move outwardly from the ports, and means for yieldingly pressing the plate-valve upon the ports. Y

8. A valve mechanism, comprising a rotary member having an annular series of ports presented in the direction of its axis of rotatiorr, a steam chest covering said ports, a plate-valve in said steam chest seating over said ports, a guiding head transverse to the axis of rotation of the rotary member, guide projections on the plate-valve embracing said guiding member and holding the plate-valve against rotation While permitting it to slide transversely to the path of the ports and also to move outwardly form the ports, and resilient means interposed between the guiding member and the plate-valve for yieldingly pressing the plate-valve upon the ports.

9. A valve mechanism, comprising a 1'0- tary member having an annular series of ports presented in the direction of its axis of rotation, a steam chest covering said engaging a guiding projection for impartports, a plate-valve in said steam chest seating sliding movement to the valve. ing over said ports, a guiding head trans- The foregoing specification signed at 10 I verse to the axis of rotation of the rotary Buffalo, New York, this 9th day of June,

5 member, guide projections on the p1ate-va1ve 1917.

embracing said guiding member, and means Working through said guiding member and GEORGE H, LUTZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

Washington, D. 0. 1 

